Enrollment and Placement Procedures, 2015-16

Bozeman School District #7 has an attendance area enrollment and placement system.

Kindergarten Registration and Placement

How old does my child have to be to enter kindergarten? Are there any exceptions?

According to Montana State Law, children must have turned 5 on or before September 10th. No exceptions.

What types of kindergarten programs do you have?

Full time kindergarten options are offered in all of our schools. It is possible to attend kindergarten on a half-time basis. However, be aware if you do choose half-time kindergarten, not all core curriculum classes are offered in the half-time kindergarten session. Please see your school principal for details. Also note that two-way transportation is not available to half-time kindergartener students.

I have a child in 5th grade, and another child entering kindergarten next year. Will my incoming kindergartner be able to go to the same school?

Not guaranteed, only incoming kindergarten siblings of any student currently enrolled in a Bozeman Elementary (K-5) School will receive priority based on the enrollment placement criteria in Policy 3129P

New Students to the District (Grades K-5)

Each school has a web page that can be accessed from the District Home Page http://www.bsd7.org/our_schools. Schools also provide scheduled tours on a limited basis. Each school will have one Open House in the spring. All schools use the same curriculum.

Do all schools have an after school program?

All schools will have after school programs on-site. The after school program is run through the United Way (kidsLINK).

What is the timeline for new student (K-5) enrollment for the following school year?

Online enrollment for the following school year opens on the first Monday in March and continues through the second Monday in April.

Enrollment forms A-J must be completed and submitted online along with a copy of a certified birth certificate and immunization records no later than 4:30 p.m., on the second Monday of April to be considered in the first round of student placement.

All enrollments submitted during this time period will be considered equally.

Any application for enrollment submitted after the April deadline will be added to the second round of placement.

What papers do I need to bring with me for registering my child?

The window for registration will allow plenty of time for parents to secure the birth certificate and immunization records required for registration. The Enrollment Office must receive the documents before the enrollment process is considered complete. The District will retain the documents in the student’s school file.

I moved across the street from a school. Am I guaranteed a spot at that school?

While living in close proximity to a school provides a family with a high level of priority, placement at that school is not a guarantee. If no space is available at the grade level at that particular school, you will be placed at the next choice school where space is available and will remain on your attendance area school wait list until space becomes available or the parent/guardian removes the student’s name.

My family has three children in elementary school. Will they be able to be placed at the same school?

Sibling placement will be based on the enrollment placement criteria included in 3129P.The District will make every attempt to keep siblings together. However, placements are made on a space available basis.

Once my child is enrolled in a particular school, will my child be able to remain in that school?

If your child is enrolled in his or her attendance area school or was force transferred to a school, he or she is guaranteed continued placement at that school. If your child is enrolled by choice at a non-attendance area school, placement will be determined on a yearly basis in late August.

How and when will I be notified of my child's placement?

Parents who have participated in the First Round of Enrollment will receive notification of their assigned school by either telephone or mail. The District tries to make first round notifications by the end of June or sooner, but this is not always possible. Enrollment applications received after the first round of placement will be processed and placed in mid-August. The receiving school will make the parent notification.

I missed the first round of placement. What do I do?

After the first round of placement, completed online enrollment registrations will be held on a continuing basis. In mid-August, a second placement meeting will be held for all new enrollees who submitted online registration after the first placement meeting.

We didn't get our attendance area school. Do we have any recourse?

If a parent is unable to have a child assigned to their attendance area school, that child will automatically be placed at the next choice school where space is available and will remain on the attendance area school wait list until space becomes available.

We didn't get our first choice school. Do we have any recourse?

If a parent is unable to have a child assigned to a first choice school, that child will automatically be placed on a waiting list for that school until the first day of school. After school begins, movement will be limited to students new to the District, to those students on a wait list for their attendance area school, and, upon administrative consideration, to students with significant, extenuating circumstances.

I won't be able to move to Bozeman until after the school year begins. How do I enroll my child?

Enrollment and placement continues throughout the year as students move to the district. The online enrollment can be submitted at any time but the student cannot be placed at a school until two weeks prior to their first day in a classroom. Placement decisions are made on a space available basis. Please visit the Enrollment Office at the Willson School Building, 404 West Main Street, Room 133 or call the Enrollment Secretary at 406-522-6005. Office hours are from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

We don't live in the Bozeman School District, but our child is having a difficult time where she is attending. Can we enroll her in Bozeman?

Enrollment in the Bozeman School District is limited to those families who reside in the Bozeman Tax Levy District. The student must reside within the District. If the student resides in the District but the parent/guardian does not, then the student may still attend, but on a tuition basis. There are special out-of-district student enrollment procedures for this situation.

We are moving to Belgrade, but our child would like to stay where she is. Will that be okay?

If the school year has started, this arrangement may only be made through the end of the school year on a tuition basis. After the current school year is complete, and before the next school year starts, your child will have to be enrolled in the Belgrade school system.

Where is the Enrollment Office located? Phone #? Office Hours?

The Enrollment Office is located in Room #133 at the Willson School Building at 404 West Main Street. The phone number is 406-522-6005. Office hours are 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

I do not live within the District boundaries, but own a business/property within Bozeman. May my child attend?

Business addresses may not be used for enrollment purposes. Enrollment in the Bozeman School District is limited to those families who reside in Bozeman Tax Levy District. Use of an address other than where the child legally resides is subject to penalties, up to and including mandatory withdrawal from the District and criminal charges and restitution. Please see our Residency Information page here.